war·ri·or
ˈwôrēər/
noun
- 1. a brave or experienced soldier or fighter
I never really considered myself a warrior. Funny? Maybe. Strong? Eh, at times. Wino. Definitely yes. But Warrior. Never.
Until I lived thru Postpartum Anxiety & Depression.
Today, I sure as hell will wear that "Warrior" badge and will for the rest of my life. Anything I can do to support the cause of raising awareness of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, I will.
Because no mother should suffer alone, in silence. No mother should live in fear.
I'm going to share an excerpt from one of my favorite websites, PostpartumProgress.com:
A new study finds that death by suicide and homicide are more common than “traditional” causes of maternal mortality in the U.S., such as infection or hemorrhage. So why is it that those traditional causes of maternal death are so much more likely to be discussed and reported?
By analyzing records from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), researchers at Georgia Health Sciences University found a total of 94 pregnancy-associated suicides — meaning women who killed themselves either during pregnancy or in the first year after birth — between 2003 and 2007. This would work out to a rate of 2 suicides per every 100,000 births. We don’t know whether any of these women were diagnosed with antenatal or postpartum depression, but we can guess it’s likely they were not, given the overall lack of awareness and screening for these illnesses.
The researchers also say there may be more maternal suicides of which we are unaware, because, as Science Daily reports, those numbers could be underreported, “… because the pregnancy or postpartum status was marked ‘unknown’ in the majority of female deaths in the CDC database.”
Ladies, mothers, girlfriends, OBGYN's, primary care physicians, nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, pastors. We have to get talking!
The more we talk, the higher awareness of these disorders. The more we open up with eachother, the more comfortable society will be in talking about postpartum disorders. As a mom, I've heard a million times, "it takes a village to raise a child." And it does. But Moms, use your village for you, too. New moms, old moms, moms of toddlers, moms of teenagers, we all need eachother. The more women open up about PPD/PPA, the less stigma there will be around the disorder, therefore moms everywhere will live in a community where it's acceptable to share the fears. Share the intrusive thoughts. And most of all, share the beautiful moments at the end of what feels like an endless dark tunnel! Because there is a light.
I've been quiet about my PPA experience here on this blog, but not quiet with those I love so dearly. My support system that walks beside me everyday, including GOD. I do intend to open up more about my journey with you all, but until then, please know I'm just an email away if any of you, my dear followers, want to talk. (annedxenos@gmail.com)
Tomorrow is my very first #ClimbOut experience, Climb out of the Darkness, a day I've been looking forward to for quite sometime. I've struggled coming up with the right words to define why I'm climbing tomorrow, however, I came across Jasmine's post and I have to say, she hit the nail on the head.
Here is why I'm climbing:
June 18th, when thousands of women, their children, and their loved ones take to their Climbs and walks, they do so knowing that we live in a world that still doesn’t recognize the full humanity of their experiences. They do so, bravely, know that they can still be marginalized and judged. They Climb despite the realization that maternal mental health care is woefully underfunded and under supported. They Climb knowing that they must risk climbing out of the darkness in order for those around them to see real people with real suffering. They climb knowing that though they’ve seen some measure of light, there are still women dying by suicide because of the fear and stigma surrounding perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
So why raise money to fight stigma? Because the power of a story told, a woman seen, is the first step to transformation and change. We believe our Warrior Moms’ stories are worth every dollar.
It is time to Climb.
Should you feel the need to donate to this cause, visit our Kansas City Climb Out team page at: https://www.crowdrise.com/tasharye-cotd2016.
Where Does The Money Go?
* Free educational materials distributed upon request to obstetrician, therapy, psychiatry, support groups and pediatrician offices
* Programs like our award-winning blog, which had more than 1.6 million pageviews in 2014, and our private support forum for struggling moms, which supports more than 2,100 mothers around the world
* Annual Warrior Mom™ Conference which prepares survivors of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders to become local peer advocates for struggling moms in their own communities and to raise awareness
* Advocacy for better support, less stigma and increased services for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders
Xoxo,
Anne
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